Senate Resolution 3

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO
APPROVE THE TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE PRESIDENTIAL PERMIT APPLICATION.

WHEREAS, the United States
accounts for 20% of world energy consumption and is the world's largest
petroleum consumer. The United States consumes 18.8 million barrels of oil
each day — forecasts suggest this will not change for decades. Current imports
amount to over 8 million barrels each day, approximately 50% of the United
States' requirements; and

WHEREAS, even with new
technology, oil discoveries, alternative fuels and conservation efforts, the
United States will remain dependent on imported energy for decades to come. A
secure supply of crude oil is not only needed for Americans to continue to heat
their homes, cook their food, and drive their vehicles, but to allow the United
States economy to thrive and grow free from the potential threats and
disruptions of crude oil supply from less secure parts of the world; and

WHEREAS, the growing
production of conflict-free oil from Canada's oil sands and the Bakken
formation in Saskatchewan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota can replace
crude imported from countries that do not share American values, additional
pipeline capacity to refineries in the United States Midwest and Gulf Coast is
required; and

WHEREAS, increasing energy
imports from Canada makes sense for the United States. Canada is a trusted
neighbor with a stable democratic government, strong environmental standards
equal to that of the United States, and some of the most stringent human rights
and worker protection legislation in the world; and

WHEREAS, improvements in
production technology continue to reduce the carbon footprint of Canadian oil
sands development. Oil sands production accounts for 6.5% of Canada's
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 0.1% of global GHG emissions. Total
emissions from Canada's oil sands sector was 45 megatons in 2009, equivalent to
3.5% of emissions from United States coal-fired power generation in the same
year. Oil sands crude has similar C02 emissions to other heavy oils
and is 6% more carbon-intensive than the United States crude supply average on
a wells-to-wheels basis; and

WHEREAS, the 58 refineries
in the Gulf Coast region provide a total refining capacity of approximately 8.4
million bpd, or nearly half of United States refining capacity. In 2009, these
refineries imported approximately 5 million bpd of crude oil from more than 40
countries, with the top four suppliers being Mexico (21%), Venezuela (17%), Saudi
Arabia (12%) and Nigeria (11%). Imports from Mexico and Venezuela are
declining as production from those countries decreases and supply contracts
expire. Once completed, TransCanada's Keystone XL and Gulf Coast Expansion
projects could displace roughly 40% of the oil the United States currently
imports from the Middle East and Venezuela; and

WHEREAS, the KXL pipeline
project, which has been subject to the most thorough public consultation
process of any proposed United States pipeline, and the subject of multiple
environmental impact statements and several United States Department of State
studies, have concluded that it poses the least impact to the environment and
is much safer than other modes of transporting crude oil; and

WHEREAS, pipelines are the
safest method for the transportation of petroleum products when compared to
other methods of transportation. Pipelines are 40 times safer than moving
crude oil by rail and 100 times safer than transporting by truck. Keystone XL
will replace the equivalent of a tanker train 25 miles long, or 200 ocean
tankers per year. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 19
million tons, or the equivalent of taking almost 4 million cars off the road;
and

WHEREAS, the Keystone XL
project will support over 10,000 jobs in the United States — construction and
manufacturing — representing work for pipefitters, welders, electricians, heavy
equipment operators and other sectors in virtually every state in the United
States. Seventy-five percent of the pipe used to build Keystone XL in the
United States will come from North American mills, including half being made by
United States workers. Goods for the pipeline valued at approximately $800
Million have already been sourced from United States manufacturers:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby urge the
United States Department of State to approve the Presidential Permit
application allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone
XL Pipeline between the United States and Canada; to strengthen United States
energy security; to provide for critical pipeline infrastructure to achieve
North American energy independence; and to stimulate the economy and create
jobs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That
this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the
United States Secretary of State, members of the Mississippi congressional
delegation and the Governor, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.